


Alaska

by Pyramyriad



Category: Metal Gear, Metroid (Manga), Metroid Series, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Accelerated Aging, Aging, Alaska, Alien DNA, Badly Drawn Map, Caring, Cold, Cold Weather, Comfort, Confusion, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, DNA, Drabble Collection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Federal Police, First Meetings, Fluff, Fruit, Going To Die One Day, Guilt, Holding Hands, Holding back, Hope, Hopeful Ending, House Hunting, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, Love at First Sight, Memory Related, Metal Gear References, Metroid - Freeform, Near Death, Odd socks, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Post-Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty, Pre-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, Romance, Sad, Sad and Happy, Sad and Sweet, Sad with a Happy Ending, Silly, Snake has OCD, Snow, Socks, Stargazing, Stars, Subspace, Subspace Emissary (Super Smash Brothers), Suffering, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Supporting The One You Love, Sweet, Watching Television, Weakness, X Parasite, multi-chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2020-09-06 04:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20285383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyramyriad/pseuds/Pyramyriad
Summary: Solid Snake and Samus find that sharing a house in Alaska isn’t going to be easy.





	1. Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is something of a prequel to Snake and Samus’ relationship, because it’s always nice to see how couples meet.

A strong blast of wind must have knocked the aerial askew again; the television channel flickered a few times, before completely cutting out and leaving a black screen. It was a regular occurrence, although improved since Snake determinedly left the cabin one morning with a vow to reinforce the receiver. Samus found that touching, although couldn’t find herself too bothered with any of it. There were plenty of other things to do.

No longer distracted by moving images, she caught something out of the corner of her eye – he watched her, wearing a mischievous smile on his lips, which usually resulted in a tickling fight; pillows were reduced to mere weapons. “What is it?”

“Was thinking back to when we first met,” the brunette responded, causing the woman to raise both eyebrows and lean forwards towards him. “You remember it?”

She nodded. “But go ahead and remind me anyway. You know I love when you tell me about your missions.”

He grinned. “Only if you help me fill in the blanks.”

“Sure.”

Snake then began, taking them both back to when they fought together to defeat the Subspace Army…

_Trotting alone through the halls, dressed only in her zero suit and armed with a pistol, Samus should have felt vulnerable. Yet that was far from the truth – thanks to years of intense training, she possessed a peak physical condition and multitude of skills that reduced even the brawniest of aliens to space dust._

_The seemingly endless and empty hallway stretched before her, only the echoes of footsteps tapping the ground any accompaniment. Normally, it would have been a comfort to have silence and clear the mind, yet this particular area felt simply wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it; that was bad._

Scuff, scuff, scuff…

_A strange shiver danced along the woman’s spine, the sort that alerted one to a nearby enemy presence. She surreptitiously scanned for an escape if need be and touched a palm against the gun holstered at her hip. _Nothing out of the ordinary._ Although that meant little. Creatures camouflaged themselves all the time to avoid detection._ There’s definitely something in here with me. _Years of experience told her to trust gut feelings._

Scuff, scuff, scuff…

_The blonde paused and, with a squint, surveyed the surroundings once more. Blue eyes fell upon an unassuming box, considered by some to be the perfect disguise. _Was that always there?_ Without waiting to see what could possibly fly out and attack, she pulled out her weapon and aimed. A gloved hand reached forward and took hold of a corner of cardboard, before tugging it upwards at high speed and revealing her pursuer._

_It was not an alien. Simply an eccentric man in a headband and far-too-tight clothing. He remained crouched and raised his head to peer at her, then smiled. “Hi.”_

_“It’s you. Snake.” She rolled her eyes. This sadly hadn’t been the first time. “Why are you following me in…that?”_

_The brunette rose to his feet, keenly aware of the gun still trained on him. “This is the only way I can keep up with you.”_

_“Train harder?”_

_“Ouch.” Yet he continued to grin, which was confusing. Perhaps spending so much time alone had somewhat deadened her to human behaviour. Whatever the case, she couldn’t figure out whether or not to shoot. “Could you put your gun away, please?”_

_After a moment’s deliberation, Samus did as requested. “I have so _many_ questions, but let’s start with a simple one. Why do you want to keep up with me?”_

_“Wanted to talk.”_

_“You…you know you don’t need to hide in a box and catch me off-guard. You can just come over and talk.”_

_“I can?”_

_“Yes.” _Why are we even having this conversation? It can’t just be me who finds this weird. _The blonde bit her lip, unsure of how to continue._

_Fortunately, Snake knew. “We never stop and actually get to know one another. We’re always fighting.” He appeared as a child in a sweet shop, excited by the allegorical chocolate that was the bemused woman before him._

_Men who showed interest in her usually came across as taciturn or arrogant, not at all like this one. His puppy demeanour was quite endearing. She rather thoughtfully tapped her lip with a gloved finger, an idea springing to mind. “How about this? We get through this dangerous area first…then you can ask me all the questions you like. And I’ll ask some of my own. Sound fair?”_

_“Sounds good.” It was better than he hoped, expecting little more than the cold shoulder from a woman he heard a fair few dub “the ice Queen”. Her blue eyes were fiercely passionate and warm; she merely had little time for idiots and timewasters. He looked forward to peeling back the layers to discover what kind of person lay beneath. The pair began wandering down the lobby, weapons out and eyes alert for hazards far more perilous than an excited male in a cardboard box._

Although such a meeting had hardly been what one called romantic or perfect, although strangely befit them both. In such a moment, neither could have imagined that what began as a single, bizarre confrontation in a hallway would lead to so much more in the future – the forming of a loving and trusting relationship set to last.

Samus crawled like a feline across the couch and snuggled closer against Snake, nuzzling her head into his neck. His arms wrapped around her and they gradually fell asleep in that pose. Who needed television with these kinds of fantastic stories to tell?


	2. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read about Samus having a weakness to cold and it inspired this.

The whiteboard nailed to the wall seemed imposing. Typically used as a convenient way to jot ideas down when it took too long to switch on the computer or hunt for paper and pen, it now proudly bore a rough drawing of the United States.

Samus, however, did not appear that impressed with her partner’s efforts. Broad marker in hand, she approached to cross off the childlike scrawl of Alaska. Snake’s arm reached out at high speed and grasped hers.

“What’s wrong with Alaska?” he enquired – pouting behind his dark scruff, if she didn’t know better.

“I don’t like it.” That should have been enough to put an end to the discussion, yet the blonde knew from past experience it never could be.

“Why not?” He struggled to suppress the dominance that shone through his words now and then. As useless as it was and however much she sighed, all aspects of his personality, good or bad, were treasured. But how to explain her dislike? Where to begin? The combination of confusion and hurt spreading across his face demanded an answer.

“It’s all snow,” Samus began, taking extra time to carefully choose the correct words, although felt unsure what to add. Detailing what happened and revealing weakness to anyone, even the love of her life, caused her chest to tighten. _I hate this._

Not that long ago, the woman had been infused with Metroid DNA to save her life – a desperate gambit after being infected with the X Parasite. It wasn’t the Federation Police’s fault, really, not knowing what side effects would occur. At first, she _had_ blamed them. Because of that encounter, she now had a crippling weakness to cold. A special suit was in the works to counteract it, yet would take time before even being ready for testing.

The blonde wished to share all this and more, but no words escaped her lips. Snake’s expression appeared only more bewildered, although he could sense the struggle within her, trying to be brave and tell him something important.

With a softened voice and touching his hands to her upper arms, he spoke. “Tell me.”

“I…” _Can’t._ What if he didn’t like the truth? Who knew what she could do with those alien powers? _I don’t want to hurt you._

“Please.”

Staring straight into those concerned blue eyes, Samus was suddenly awash with the urge to take that plunge, risk everything to be closer to the man. After all, he would do the same thing after some gentle coercion. He _deserves_ to know. _Just think of it like ripping off a plaster…_

“I can’t be out in the cold too long. It’ll kill me,” she finally remarked. His eyes widened and his grip on her arms tightened. “I was infused with…_something_. It saved my life, but this was the trade.” Her eyes cast downwards, ashamed of so many things – not revealing it sooner, being not quite human…perhaps even considering her a monster.

“Okay,” was all the brunette said after a pregnant pause, causing her to study his countenance in an effort to understand what he meant. At her expression, his lip quirked. “It’s okay. We’ll find somewhere else.” Releasing her, he made for the whiteboard.

_Don’t._ It only intensified her guilt. To relocate for _her_, when he seemed so set on finally heading home…however touching the gesture, it was wrong. The man paced back and forth, figuring out a more suitable place. Each mutter and movement increased her discomfort, until she could take it no longer.

“Stop,” came the blonde’s command. He froze and swung around, waiting for the next words that were surely to follow. She stepped forward and, with slight hesitation, touched her lips to his. Expecting him to move away, it came as a pleasant surprise when he accepted the kiss.

When they parted, Samus felt better about her decision. “Alaska.”

Dark eyebrows rose. “Alaska?”

“Let’s live there.”

“But you said-”

“We’ll find a way to make it work. We _always_ do.”

It sounded like a promise. Snake pulled her closer into his arms, checking her eyes for regret. Unlikely to lie about something this serious, he nevertheless couldn’t help his nature. The pair slowly relaxed in their embrace, silent for as long as either could bear.

“Okay,” he repeated, forcing chuckles from both. “Alaska it is.”

It wasn’t to be worried about anymore. Whatever one’s weaknesses, the other could lend strength. They could overcome anything. _Together_. Regardless of her difficulties, she could wrap up warmer and at least build up _some_ resistance to the weather – not to mention he would keep her warm at night.

Looking at it in a new light, the trade didn’t seem bad at all.


	3. Prank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided on writing something a little more playful this chapter.

When the weather turned foul, usually resulting in a snowstorm that trapped Snake and Samus inside their cabin for days at a time, they grew bored – not with each other, but it was a struggle to find things to do other than eat, sleep and exercise. His miniature gym in the back room helped, especially with her insistence on keeping in shape. Due to this, the pair had a variety of hobbies. One in particular involved pranks – hiding possessions, leaping out of the dark and altering little things to see if the other would notice, to name a few.

It happened to be another housebound day, continuous fierce blizzards sweeping across Alaska. Stood in the bedroom, Samus felt they were running out of mischievous plans, so considered something new. The greatest and most unexpected idea this time could include changing _herself_ to surely irritate her lover for most of the day. Hair seemed too obvious, as did wearing ludicrous outfits. _Maybe something more subtle?_

In that moment, the answer suddenly struck.

Snake remained oblivious, his mind focused on the hardback book in front of him on the kitchen counter. At its side were spoons, scales and a mixing bowl. The man recently took up cooking, discovering strange new meals to create and feed to his blonde guinea pig. More often than now, he succeeded, although either way it was spectacular.

The woman paraded in her typical casualwear of a t-shirt, thick leggings and hoodie combination. Ten minutes passed, before the brunette turned from his cookbook and marched over to bestow a morning kiss on her cheek. He froze and pulled back, eyes darting downwards.

As if the situation required more drama, he stabbed a finger at her feet. “What are _those_?” Said items consisted of white socks emblazoned with luminous fruit, although they were a complete mismatch. _Oranges on the left, limes on the right._ His mind couldn’t comprehend the patterns.

“_Those _are socks, David.” It sounded so obvious from her lips. “You’ve never seen socks before?”

“They’re…”

“What? They’re what?”

Snake swallowed and raised his head to look her straight in the eye. “I’m assuming you’ve got another pair like that?”

“I have.”

“They don’t match. Why don’t they match?”

“Because I chose to have them not match.”

“Why would you _do_ that?”

Unable to maintain a serious expression, Samus’ lips spread into a smirk. No matter how are he was of her teasing his militaristic discipline, it was difficult to break the habit and relax. She empathised, having gone through her own brutal training from an early age, yet thought it best to remind him occasionally that they weren’t soldiers anymore.

He swept a hand down his face in exasperation. “Okay, I _can_ take a joke. Now get rid of them.”

“Nope. I’m keeping them on _all day_.”

The very idea horrified the man. His eyes formed a squint and, in that moment, she knew he refused to allow her to do so without a fight. _A tickle fight._

A noise halfway between a gasp and squeal escaped the blonde’s throat and she darted from him, forcing him to charge. Although slower, he could anticipate her actions very well by now. Luckily for him, she didn’t run at full speed, _wanting_ to be caught. The pair looped the sofa several times, pausing at opposite ends, then darting left and right when the other moved. Eventually, breathing hard and having broken out in a little sweat, she let herself be captured and tackled onto the furniture. They fell like sacks of potatoes, not the super athletes either professed to be.

Snake immediately grabbed Samus’ slim ankles in his large hands and went about tugging the socks free, albeit with some difficulty. She kicked and wriggled as much as possible in his grip, still determined to fight the losing battle, but a kiss on the mouth that soon increased in passion persuaded her to quit sooner than usual.

He victoriously held the offending footwear in the air, before tossing them onto the floor and glancing at the woman in utter disbelief. “Why’d you buy these revolting things, anyway?”

She chuckled. “How else am I going to get _those_ kinds of kisses?”

“You don’t need socks for _that_.” The man leant down, bestowing the same kiss on her lips and her arms loosely looped around his neck. The pair snuggled closer on the couch, safe and warm in one another’s embrace.

For all the pranks played on one another, Samus decided this by far had turned out to be the best.


	4. Comfort

He’s outside, head raised to the stars. Again. That’s my first clue that something’s up. Whenever he needs time to think, it’s always a walk through the Alaskan snow or a seat on the bench outside our cabin. It’s not his way to just tell me what’s going on, but I like to think I know him well enough to decipher its meaning. He wants to stay nearby.

Even ‘though we’re pretty much sharing everything these days, he still can’t bring himself to reveal his pain. People have called him cold; I say he’s showing a lot of heart by trying to spare me the grief. But he must know I can see through him.

Not that knowing makes things easier.

The fact of the matter is he doesn’t have long left in this world. Seems no doctor can find out what’s causing the accelerated aging, let alone cure it. I’ve been to distant planets and met aliens I can’t even begin to describe, but there’s nothing I can do to stop this…to save him.

I just…I don’t want to lose him.

With a defeated sigh into the wind, I advance, my body fighting the shivers – even as I’m dressed in numerous layers of clothing; a precaution to keep my body from shutting down.

Or maybe it’s not the weather causing these shakes.

He hears crunching footsteps on the snow and turns his head, peering over a shoulder in my direction. When I’m at his side, I see the light has faded from those beautiful blue eyes. The man looks so tired.

“Hey,” he says softly, tone matching his disposition.

“Hey,” I parrot, offering the bravest smile I can muster, and settle down next to him on the bench. His gaze returns to the stars, while I study him a little longer, unable to think of anything to talk about.

The silence between us is usually pleasant, but now it only feels awkward.

Suddenly, he speaks, pointing out a shooting star, and I stare in the direction of his finger. Considering where I’ve travelled and what I’ve accomplished, they’re really not that special…yet it doesn’t matter. What’s important is we’re watching together.

Then he continues, mentioning banal topics – anything will do to keep himself distracted. I want to tell him there’s no need to force himself to do this and lock the pain away, but I can’t find my voice. Instead, I reach across, covering his gloved hand with mine, and give it a gentle, but meaningful squeeze. He immediately stops, mid-sentence, and looks over. He understands what I’m here to offer. I lean forward, pressing a kiss to his lips and he reciprocates, cupping my cheek. It isn’t passionate and desperate, but gentle, sensual, caring.

When we part, my grip tightens on his hand and I pull him up, as I rise to my feet. We slowly make our way back across the snow-covered path to the cabin’s front door. I step inside first, and he obediently follows me back into the warmth.

No, I can’t save you…but I _can_ make things easier, Snake.


End file.
